The Lakers have been looking for a quality point guard all season long.

One of the best point guards in the NBA may have just become available.

Deron Williams could be put on the trade market by the Nets before Thursday's trade deadline.Williams will be a free agent at the end of the season. The Nets have been hoping to pair the point guard and Dwight Howard together in the offseason. However, that no longer seems like a possibility.

Reports say Howard will opt in for the final year of his contract. If that happens, Howard will not become a free agent until after the 2012-2013 Season.

Without Howard on the roster, chances are that Williams will not choose to re-sign with the Nets.

If New Jersey doesn't think they can sign Williams to a contract extension, they will probably look to trade Williams and get some value for him. The Lakers are a perfect trading partner for the Nets.

They can offer New Jersey another star player that is still relatively young, in Pau Gasol. Both players make a lot of money so it won't be difficult to match up salaries in a potential deal.

Los Angeles gets what they need--a good young point guard. New Jersey gets a big man who can rebound that they can pair up with Brook Lopez.

L.A. would likely jump at the chance to get Williams. Their starting point guard, Derek Fisher, is 37 years old. Williams would help the Lakers this year, and for years to come.

It'd be hard for the Nets to get a better player in exchange for Williams than Gasol. He's one of the best frontcourt players in the league and would bring championship experience to a very young team.

The Lakers have been trying to obtain Howard since he requested a trade in December. Ironically, his decision to stay in Orlando could help L.A. get one of the best players in the NBA.

How's this for a Friday morning starting lineup?

WilliamsKobeWorld PeaceBeasleyBynum

I'd hate to start Beasley at PF without bringing in another piece. But if we can get Williams for Gasol we probably have to go for it.

Last edited by DirtySoap on Wed Mar 14, 2012 4:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

With Dwight reportedly deciding to opt into the last year of his contract, the onus is now on the Nets to find a suitable trading partner for Williams. Williams is 99.9% certain to walk this summer without Dwight in the fold which will leave the Nets packing to Brooklyn without a marketable star outside of rookie Marshon Brooks, and oft-injured Brook Lopez. If the Nets were to swing a deal for Pau, it may not give them the human highlight reel they were looking for in Dwight Howard, but a twin-towers lineup of Lopez and Gasol might make them competitive enough to be worth hanging their hat on.

The Lakers have been looking for a quality point guard all season long.

One of the best point guards in the NBA may have just become available.

Deron Williams could be put on the trade market by the Nets before Thursday's trade deadline.Williams will be a free agent at the end of the season. The Nets have been hoping to pair the point guard and Dwight Howard together in the offseason. However, that no longer seems like a possibility.

Reports say Howard will opt in for the final year of his contract. If that happens, Howard will not become a free agent until after the 2012-2013 Season.

Without Howard on the roster, chances are that Williams will not choose to re-sign with the Nets.

If New Jersey doesn't think they can sign Williams to a contract extension, they will probably look to trade Williams and get some value for him. The Lakers are a perfect trading partner for the Nets.

They can offer New Jersey another star player that is still relatively young, in Pau Gasol. Both players make a lot of money so it won't be difficult to match up salaries in a potential deal.

Los Angeles gets what they need--a good young point guard. New Jersey gets a big man who can rebound that they can pair up with Brook Lopez.

L.A. would likely jump at the chance to get Williams. Their starting point guard, Derek Fisher, is 37 years old. Williams would help the Lakers this year, and for years to come.

It'd be hard for the Nets to get a better player in exchange for Williams than Gasol. He's one of the best frontcourt players in the league and would bring championship experience to a very young team.

The Lakers have been trying to obtain Howard since he requested a trade in December. Ironically, his decision to stay in Orlando could help L.A. get one of the best players in the NBA.

How's this for a Friday morning starting lineup?

WilliamsKobeWorld PeaceBeasleyBynum

I'd hate to start Beasley at PF without bringing in another piece. But if we can get Williams for Gasol we probably have to go for it.

*drools* at the thought of watching that lineup. D.Will for a lob! Kobe pass to Beasley for an open 3! Oh God let this happen!

Despite the speculation, the Nets might not be interested in trading Williams with or without Howard. I'm not sure if they would want Gasol, so it will probably take a three-team trade if it's possible at all. We'll see how this plays out.

Alex Raskin wrote:With Dwight Howard reportedly opting in with the Magic, many expected the Nets to start shopping soon-to-be free agent Deron Williams. The prevailing wisdom had been that Williams would only re-sign with the Nets if they added Howard before moving to Brooklyn next season.

However, the Nets aren’t willing to trade Williams before the deadline, league sources have told HOOPSWORLD. The team believes Williams will re-sign if they can make themselves competitive in the offseason. They’re also not sure they’d be able to get significant pieces back in a trade.

"When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that﻿ authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it." - Frederic Bastiat

Agreed. The Nets want to keep Williams and will likely only trade him when (A) it's certain Howard is opting-in and staying with the Magic for another season and (B) they receive a very good offer for Williams which likely means the Lakers would need a third team.

There might be a slight chance, but then again there's also the issue of the Lakers not wanting to take on too much additional salary, and having to resign Williams after the trade is a large financial commitment. We'll see what happens, this will likely come down to the deadline.

"When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that﻿ authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it." - Frederic Bastiat